Image Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

‘We Don’t Like Them’ – Tyrese Haliburton Adds Fuel to Fiery Pacers vs Bucks Rivalry

Image Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The rivalry between the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers has gotten more interesting with the 2025 NBA Playoffs matchup. The fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers drew the 5th seed Bucks for the first round. The first two games of the series so far have shown how both sides hate each other. And Tyrese Haliburton’s recent comments have further turned up the heat.

Animosity between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Indiana Pacers is not very old and started just a couple of years ago. Their intense semi-final clash in the 2023 NBA Cup set things off as Haliburton tried to mock Damian Lillard after shooting a clutch three-pointer. The 25-year-old mimicked Lillard’s ‘Dame Time’ celebration. The duo then exchanged a few words on the court.

Cutback to 2025, Damian Lillard and Tyrese Haliburton have sparked fire once again in the rivalry. During the dying minutes of the first game, a foul was called on Giannis Antetokounmpo and coach Doc Rivers went on to straightaway challenge it. While the players were moving towards the sidelines, Lillard confronted Tyrese. He also exchanged a few words with Pascal Siakam.

HALIBURTON. LILLARD. THIS IS PEAK ENTERTAINMENT🍿 pic.twitter.com/Emy8buKw8F
— HaliMuse (@hali_muse) April 23, 2025

Also Read: Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks Timeline: What Is In Store For Pacers-Bucks Game 3?

Pascal and Lillard received double technical fouls. Despite not playing, Lillard still picked up a tech, which is a rarity that shows how tense things are getting. The Indiana Pacers earned a 117-98 win against the Bucks, which further irked some faces on the court and the sidelines.

In the second game, flares turned high again as Damian Lillard marked his on court return. The duo got into a heated exchange once again during a dead ball situation. It is unclear what started the confrontation and what exactly was exchanged between the duo. The players and coaching staff tried to seperate the duo to avoid any untoward incident.

Tyrese Haliburton Doesn’t Hide His Hate

The Indiana Pacers registered another victory against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday. They won the second game of the playoff series by 123-115. And with the end of the home stretch, Haliburton fired shots from off-court during a press briefing.

Haliburton said, “We don’t have to sit here and act like it’s any secret. We don’t like them, they don’t like us, and that’s just what it is. And I think they live for this, we live for this, so I could [not] care less. I’m out here just trying to help my team win a game.”

On his feud with Damian Lillard, Haliburton added, “Just competitors. He wants to win, I want to win. It’s the highest level. We’re at the highest level in the most contentious moment here in the playoffs.”

With the fire between the two teams igniting further, the next two games will be interesting in Milwaukee. The Wisconsin-based franchise will be more pumped up after Tyrese Haliburton’s post-game comments. The two teams play their third match on Friday night.